Saturday, November 29, 2014

The Tortoise and the Hare

Yesterday when I turned the TV on, every channel had football. So, I turned to PBS thinking I would get an alternative...and I happened upon a children's program that was teaching children about winning and loosing. I'm sure you know the story of the tortoise and the Hare. One was fast and the other .... VERY slow. It is logical to think that the Hare won...but it did not. The tortoise won. We know the saying "Slow and steady wins the race." Words like patience, perseverance and endurance come to mind.

As I rebuild from a long illness and weight gain, I am reminded of the above. That constant improvement takes time, tenaciousness and a stubborn willingness to keep at it day by day accepting incremental results.

I think as a culture we are used to instant results. We want a pill or a potion or a miracle to improve whatever ails us. But most often none of these happen. It takes grit and suffering endurance to make progress...no matter the goal.

Back in early September, I started working out again with Brian Boulware at Titanium Fitness.Since then we have been working hard together and I am getting some nice results. It is the blood sweat and tears that always proves results and it is hard , but very good.

Recovery from anything takes time...and I remind myself that patience is a must. And as the turtle, I walk. I love this phrase:

"You will get to your destination. But right now , the walk is everything. Every step is reminding you how to live. Every breath is a little guru."

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Vegetable Juicing that is! A friend sent me for a green juice and the
next thing I new, I was gifted with a juicer. Next thing I knew I was
watching this film...tearing up as I went...and the next thing I knew I was at
the store buying Kale. Go Figure! My dad has been trying to get me
to eat kale for over a year now. I am sure my dad is happy
now!

This is a long movie so you may want to make the time to watch it when you
can relax and are not in a rush(90 minutes). Fat Sick and Nearly Dead

Well, I am not going to do that, but I am working hard to begin to loose the weight I have put on as a result of the debilitating effects of celiac disease and how it has effected my mobility....thus not really able to exercise much due to all the edema, swelling and pain...and honestly laziness mixed in...and the poor" me"s! (In ASl there is a wonderful sign for poor me!)

I went to my first Celiac Support Group on Saturday and was initially almost on the verge of tears on the way there. But, once there I get a lot of wonderful support! On the way there though, I wondered why they have to have a pot luck when I cannot eat anything they would have? I was pretty angry...and again "poor me." But once there, I was told the reason is to show you that you can eat lots of delicious and nutritious foods that are free of gluten. I am on a high learning curse...and when a woman told me that my lipstick and toothpaste might have gluten in it...I think my sucking of teeth, eye roll and spitting of nails almost hit the ceiling!

Anyway,i am getting on my bike in a moment and will cycle away my angst over my regression and work to turn it into something positive!

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Some
of my closest acquaintances say that I am competitive(Cece sing....,oh yes they do!). They have
mentioned that I seem to enjoy playing the role of the shark. I lay in
wait, lingering behind and then swim in for the kill. I feel that is a
bit overstated, but that is what I have heard.(Cece adds," That is what we experience!")

This
morning as I stood at the starting line with my dear friend Andrea, I
experienced the usual pre-race anxiety. I saw participants in serious
snowshoeing gear with long, lean bodies and my ego began to quake. Some
participants I knew from the sport of triathlon and even though I am a
bit competitive, I know my place and respect the ladies that are at the
top of the sport in NM. They are courteous and supportive each and every
time I come across them in a race and they were present for this
event.

But
for this race - for the first time - I was not concerned about whom I
was going to overtake. I was not focused on my pace. I did not have my
Garmin or take notice of the time it took for me to tromp through the
pristine woods for 3.8 miles. I ran when I wanted and walked when I felt
like it. I stopped and mapped in the New Year’s beginnings and left
last year’s trials and heartbreak in the melting ice. I felt enormous
gratitude for my friends and family who did not abandon me and finally
let ties of the past free. I sang aloud when the mood hit me and did not
allow a negative thought to enter my heart.

I did not place in my age group but I came away with so much more. I am happy.Ellie the Shark

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

....as you struggle to get into your cycling shorts....you know that there is a problem.

Well, actually I knew I had a problem and purchased a larger size cycling short. But, in trying them on and getting on the bike, the chamois was toooo thin and in the entire wrong place...like almost under my breasts!

So, I knew I had to struggle to get into my former shorts. This is when my cat gave me the look as if to say, "OK! Now that you are struggling so hard, you can call it a day because we can call this your exercise!"

But, I had promised my trainer that I would get on the bike today,....made a commitment...after she snarled at me the other day. I guess it took that snarl....

And so off I went. I did not pop a spoke, or break my frame. or fall over dead...as a matter of fact, when I told my trainer I was still alive she said, "Somehow I had figured you would still be alive. You have a habit of doing so. Ride again tomorrow."

Favorite Web Sites

Inspirational Quotes

"Do ....or ....Do Not........ There is no Try"

Email Cece at: thetwowhos@gmail.com

"Above all else, do NOT quit! The universe always bows to persistence. The empowering approach is to see your physical challenges as assets, because overcoming obstacles forces you to develop discipline, determination and character. These traits will carry over to other areas of your life and make you a stronger person."

Tom Venuto, "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle."

"Do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not." Thomas Huxley